Flexible pliers



Dec. 1924- 1,519,938

7 D. v. SMITH FLEX I BLE PLI ERS Filed Sept, 1923 INVENTOR. BYDEINHLD v SlTllTH %%j@wm A TTORNEY Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

UNITED STATES DONALD V. SMITH, 0F HOLLISTER, CALIFORNIA.

FLEXIBLE PLIERS.

Application filed September 13, 1923. Serial No. 662,504.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DONALD V. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hollister, in the county of San Benito and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Flexible Pliers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in flexible pliers.

The principal object of this invention is to produce a pair of pliers which may be bent so as to grasp articles which are inaccessible to the ordinary pliers or articles which are at a remote point.

Another object of this invention is to produce a. pair of pliers which are simple in construction and therefore within a reasonable cost of manufacture and sale.

Another object is to produce a pair of pliers which are mechanically simple and therefore capable of use by an average mechanic without derangement.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved pliers having a portion thereof broken away, and

Figure 2 is a reduced view showing the manner of bending my pliers.

In automobile repair work, it often happens that bolts, nuts and the like are dropped into inaccessible places and therefore have to be fished out by a wire which is a difficult procedure.

I have therefore provided a pair of pliers having the usual movable handles and a movable jaw, the handle and jaw, however, being separated a considerable distance by a. flexible tube within which an operating wire is adapted to move. IVith this arrangement, it is possible to place the jaw portion in an out of the Way place, while the handle portion is still within an operable position.

In the accompanying drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numerals 5 and 6 refer to the ordinary handles common to the average pliers, the same being hinged at 7. The handle 5 has formed thereon a lug 8 to which a wire 9 is pivotally attached. The handle 6 has a projection 11 formed integral therewith to which a flexible pipe 12 is secured by means of a nut 13. This flexible pipe may be merely a copper pipe or it may be a flexible pipe such as known as armored tubing. The copper pipe is preferable, however, as it retains the bend better than the flexible tubing. The opposite end of this pipe 12 is secured to a lug 13 preferably formed integral with the jaw portion 14 of the pliers. This jaw portion has pivoted thereto as shown at 16 a second jaw portion 17 having a downwardly extending lug 18. To this lug 18 is secured the free end of the wire 9, the result being that as the handle 5 is moved With respect to the handle 6 the wire 9 will cause the jaw portion 17 to move with respect to the jaw jo-rtion 14:. This movement is illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 2.

It will thus be seen that I have produced a pair of pliers which may be bent or flexed to accommodate to varying conditions.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a device of the character described a handle portion, a second handle portion hinged to said first mentioned handle portion, a flexible tubing secured to one of said handle portions, a wire secured to the other of said handle portions and extending through said tubing, and jaw portions mounted on the opposite end of said tubing from said handle, one of said jaw portions "being connected to said wire, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a flexible pliers, a handle portion comprising two handles pivoted one to the other, a Wire pivotally secured to one of said handles, a flexible tubing secured to the other of said handles and surrounding said Wire, a jaw portion having a lug integral therewith, said lugs being secured to the free end of said tubing a second ja-W portion pivoted to said first mentioned jaw portion and a lug formed integral there- With. 7

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

DONALD V. SMITH. 

